Holiday Baking: Homemade Wheat-Free Everything Crackers

A cheese platter is one of the easiest and quickest appetizers – even when you make your own homemade Wheat-Free Crackers.

A party isn’t complete without crackers and cheese. However, if you think your dairy and/or wheat allergies meant your days of cheese grazing were over, think again.

Instead of the traditional dairy cheeses such as cheddar, gouda and brie I’ve learned to swap them for Goat cheese.

Goat’s milk is a great alternative to dairy milk because oftentimes you are able to have Goat’s milk products due to the fact that it lacks the casein and whey proteins that people cannot tolerate in traditional dairy products. You can get a wide range of Goat cheese at the grocery store such as Goat Brie, Goat Cheddar and Soft Ripened Goat Cheese in a variety of flavours.

Add some homemade artisan wheat-free crackers and you have yourself a party platter that all of your guests can nibble on. Fan of wheat and gluten? Just sub regular flour, or even whole wheat for equally delicious crackers.

You might think making your own wheat-free crackers is one of those things that takes more effort and time than warranted when picking up a pack from the store would be just as easy. I assure you these crackers are no-fuss and incredibly satisfying with as little effort as driving to the store – bonus, you don’t need to leave the house during the busy holiday season. They also cost next to nothing when you consider a small box of crackers can cost you up to five or six dollars.

The dough itself is simple to make, no yeast or rising time, and the toppings are endless – anything you have on hand will do. Here I used salt, pepper, rosemary and dried onion. They reminded me of a cracker version of the Everything Bagel. They bake up crisp and store for up to a week, longer if frozen. They may be the easiest thing you bake this holiday.

Homemade Wheat-Free Everything Crackers
Makes 3 dozen

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose Gluten/Wheat-Free flour (Robin Hood just came out with a Nutri Flour Blend that is Gluten Free in an easy resealable bag that works great)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup water
Toppings can include: Salt, Pepper, Rosemary, Dried Onion, Seasoning, Poppy Seeds, any other herb you like.

Special Equipment Needed:

Rolling pin
Pizza Cutter
Pastry brush
Pastry Docker or Fork

Instructions:

Heat oven to 450°F: Place a rack in the lower third of the oven. Use parchment paper or silicone baking sheet to line a baking tray, set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour and sugar. You can use gluten-free flour, or a blend of white and whole wheat all purpose flours.
Fill a glass measuring cup with the water and add the oil. Pour mixture over the flour. Using a wooden spoon stir until a soft, sticky dough is formed. If dough is still flaky, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time until a sticky elastic dough forms.
Turn out onto a clean counter surface lightly covered in flour (use a sieve to dust the surface) and knead slightly.
Using a large rolling pin roll the dough into a rectangle about 1/8-inch thick or slightly thinner, turning it as you roll. If it begins to stick add more flour.
Using the same measuring cup as before add a splash of water and stir with the leftover water/oil mixture. Using a pastry brush dip it into the water/oil and brush over top of the dough surface very lightly.
Combine your optional toppings in a small bowl – here I used salt, pepper, rosemary and dried onion. Sprinkle evenly on top. Press down slightly so that it adheres to the surface.
Using a pizza cutter cut the dough into individual square/rectangle crackers about 1 or 2 inches. Use a pastry docker or a fork and pierce the tops of the crackers, this allows air to escape so they don’t balloon up like a pita.
Using a metal dough scraper or spatula, transfer crackers to prepared baking tray. Arrange crackers close to each other.
Bake crackers in the oven for 12-15 minutes until edges are browned. Thinner crackers will bake quickly.Transfer the baked crackers to a wire rack to cool completely. They will crisp up more once cooled. Store crackers in a container for 3-5 days, or freeze.